Morobe decides to buy own equipment

By PETER KORUGL
MOROBE has begun work on building the capacity of its districts to look after its own roads and other infrastructural needs.
It is doing away with contractors and has begun buying equipment to rebuild deteriorating roads and bridges in the districts.
Mumeng, Kabwum, Bulolo and Finschhafen districts have taken the lead to buy bulldozers, trucks and other earthmoving equipment and were transporting them to the district headquarters.
Governor Luther Wenge said it was evident that although funds were allocated for capital works, particularly road maintenance, the level of funding was insufficient and most of the funding was used by mobilising contractors from Lae to and from the project sites in the districts.
Mr Wenge was referring to a brief with the provincial planning and budget priority committee received on the capital works programme in the last five years.
“The committee resolved that each of the nine districts will establish their own works units to undertake all road maintenance in their respective districts,” he said.
The committee noted that the Kabwum district established its works unit in 2005 and proved to be a success while Bulolo and Finschhafen districts established theirs this year.
Finschhafen MP Theo Zurenuoc has purchased a grader, bulldozer and excavator which would be shipped to Gagidu soon.
The equipment would be used to rebuild the Pindu-Finschhafen road that was destroyed by floods and landslides in August.
The move had certainly spelled the end of many small contractors who had benefited from the money they made from contracts they had to repair roads in the districts.